Lt. Guv advisers call Abbott pre-K bill 'socialistic'

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, right, delivers his State of the State address to a joint session of the House and Senate, Tuesday in Austin, Texas. Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick is at left. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, right, delivers his State of the State address to a joint session of the House and Senate, Tuesday in Austin, Texas. Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick is at left. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Photo: Eric Gay, STF

Photo: Eric Gay, STF

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Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, right, delivers his State of the State address to a joint session of the House and Senate, Tuesday in Austin, Texas. Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick is at left. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, right, delivers his State of the State address to a joint session of the House and Senate, Tuesday in Austin, Texas. Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick is at left. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Photo: Eric Gay, STF

Lt. Guv advisers call Abbott pre-K bill 'socialistic'

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AUSTIN - Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick is trying to distance himself from his Tea Party advisory panel, after its members penned a letter blasting Gov. Greg Abbott's quality pre-K legislation as "socialistic" and "a threat to parental rights."

"We are experimenting at great cost to taxpayers with a program that removes our young children from homes and half-day religious preschools and mothers' day out programs to a Godless environment with only evidence showing absolutely NO LONG-TERM BENEFITS beyond the 1st grade," the letter, sent to the state Senate on Tuesday, reads.

It was signed by all 20 members of the lieutenant governor's Grassroots Advisory Board," a group of Tea Party leaders Patrick chose soon after taking office to meet regularly and discuss public policy, especially as it related to border security, education reform, and tax relief legislation.

"This interference by the State tramples up our parental rights," the letter adds. "The early removal of children from parents' care if historically promoted in socialistic countries, not free societies which respect parental rights."

Abbott has made quality pre-kindergarten one of his top priorities this session, after running heavily on the issue during the 2014 gubernatorial election. House Bill 4 is modeled on those pledges, and promises to funnel $130 million in state money to incentivize high-quality, half-day pre-kindergarten programs for certain children.

The proposed legislation would not expand eligibility - currently the state only funds pre-K for 4-year-olds from low-income, military and non-native English speaking families - but would offer additional funding to programs that meet certain accountability and quality standards.

Abbott's office did not directly address the letter in a statement released later Tuesday.

"Governor Abbott's pre-k initiative is a conservative antidote to ineffective pre-existing pre-k programs because it adds accountability, implements high-quality education standards, gives parents and teachers the freedom to determine how best to educate their students and helps schools avoid a one-size-fits-all approach," said Abbott press secretary Amelia Chasse. "It will ensure tax dollars are used more effectively and reduce the $1.7 billion in tax dollars spent on remediation education programs."

While Patrick quickly distanced himself from the letter Tuesday, saying it was "unsolicited" and expressed "the individual viewpoints of Texas citizens," House Bill 4 has not yet been approved by the chamber he oversees.

The letter - and any further delay in the Senate hearing Abbott's pre-K bill - is sure to create friction between the state's two most powerful elected officials. Last week, Abbott refused to choose sides in the ongoing debate over tax cuts, saying both the House and Senate's plans are possible paths.

Patrick, however, has framed himself as Abbott's true ally, issuing statements that often start "Governor Abbott and I..." or "I agree with Governor Abbott..."